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The Walk-On Method

Karl Palachuk

Karl W. Palachuk
November 27, 2020

Walk Onmethod

My friend Jim Roddy has released a new book called The Walk-On Method to Career and Business Success. It’s all about lessons of how “underdogs” became extraordinary.

I have to be honest: I’ve never been a huge sports guy. Due to a series of physical ailments over the years, it was just never an option for me. As a result, I don’t generally find sports-related stories or analogies very meaningful.

BUT, I really enjoyed this book. I won’t ruin it for you, but the book is focused around five primary rules for a successful walk-on strategy. All of them are very much in line with my approach to success and keeping a positive attitude.

(For those as un-sportsy as me, a “walk-on” is someone who tries out for a team without being recruited. This is clearly a more difficult path. And, as Jim points out in his personal story, the assumption is that walk-on athletes will drop out early because they haven’t already demonstrated a commitment to stick with a rigid training schedule.)

I will tell you my favorite of Jim’s five rules: Run Uphill. Within a week of reading this book, I found myself mentioning that to two different people. All too often, in business, there are people who want to skip the hard work. They feel that they are somehow going to get the same experience and enjoy the same success without putting in the work.

In fact, Jim say, you can’t just do the hard work: You have to be harder on yourself than anyone else is. That way, when the opportunity comes, you will be more prepared than they are.

The book is filled with great stories (and lessons) from a wide variety of athletes. But let me be clear: The book is not about their sports feats, but about their success outside of sports, based on the lessons they learned from walking on to a team that didn’t always welcome them.

And one final note: Jim must have worked as hard on the chapter titles as he did on the interviews. The chapter titles all hit home as great lessons that draw you in and make you want to read the details.

As a bonus, the book concludes with a long list of do’s and don’ts. One of these clearly rings true for Jim: DO share what you learn with others.

If you’re looking for a good next-read, I recommend you check out The Walk-On Method by Jim Roddy. Available on Amazon, of course, or Kindle.

🙂

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